A/N: Alright guys please don't hate me…this is a necessary chapter.

Stephenie Meyer owns everything that is Twilight.

Chapter 24

Confessions

EPOV

The wedding last night was magical, when Bella stepped through those doors my heart literally stopped, it was in that moment I knew without a doubt I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this amazing woman. I had to move past my past so I could move on to my future.

Jasper and I are heading down to the casino to play some Texas Hold'em while we wait for Bella and Alice to return from shopping. Rose and Emmett didn't want to be disturbed this morning, I can't really blame them, I would want to stay in the honeymoon bubble too if I was them.

As we make our way to the Poker tables Jasper got stopped several times by fans wanting autographs or fellow competitors. I decided to stand over to the side while waiting on him to finish up signing an autograph for a couple of kids, when I felt two pair of arms slip around my chest pulling my back into the person they were attached too. I immediately stiffen up knowing it is too soon for Bella to be back from shopping, I quickly wheel around and I am face to face with the very bold stranger…stranger is an understatement because there standing in front of me was the one person I wanted to avoid at all costs, Tanya.

I back up trying to put as much distance between us as I can, "What's the rush Eddie?"

I have always hated it when she called me that.

"Look Tanya, you just can't sneak up on me and put your arms around me like that. We are not together anymore and we will never be together again." I start to turn to walk off when she grabs me by the arm.

"Tanya…LET. GO. OF. MY. ARM." I turn so that I am once again facing her and that is when I notice the tear rolling down her face. In all the years we were together Tanya NEVER cried. I was starting to believe she was incapable of showing emotion.

Tanya chokes back a sob, "Edward I just want to talk, there is a lot of things that went unsaid that should have been said. Is there somewhere private we could go talk?"

My conscience starts telling me that something is not right, but this is my chance to get everything off my chest so that I can move on with Bella. I look up at Tanya studying her face making sure she is being sincere, she smiles weakly at me. "Edward I promise I just want to talk. I know you have a girlfriend."

I nod back just as Jasper walks up, he stops just as he gets to Tanya and I. He looks back and forth between us with a confused expression on his face. "Hey man. You ready to hit the tables?"

I shift uneasily; I need to make Jasper understand that this is something I need to do. "Um Jas man, Tanya and I have some things we need to talk about." I try to emphasize things so that maybe he will understand. Jasper is pretty intuitive when it comes to these things.

Jas nods his head, "Alright man, I will be down here at the Texas Hold'em tables when you get done." He turns pointing in the general vicinity where he will before joining a couple of his roper friends.

I turn back to Tanya, her tears have dried up leaving streaks down her cheeks, "Do you want to get something to eat and talk?"

She let's out a sigh as she turns to look towards the restaurant, "Really what I have to say needs to be between me and you. I would feel kind of uncomfortable talking about our past around so many people. I would say we could go back to my room but Sherry is still sleeping in, she had a long night with a bull rider if you know what I mean."

I nervously run my fingers through my hair knowing it is not really smart to go back to my room, but I need to do this before I lose the nerve.

This is for Bella, just remember that.

I drop my hand from my hair and let out a long breath I know I have been holding, "Alright Tanya, we can go back to my room, Bella is out shopping with Alice. We should have some privacy there. I do have some things I need to say to you as well." Tanya nods in understanding as she follows me to the elevators.

I push the up button as we patiently wait for the elevator to come down in uncomfortable silence, the doors open and standing there in the elevator is Emmett and Rose.

I am fucked! There is no way Rose is not going to get the wrong idea. She is going to castrate me right here in the lobby of the Gold Coast.

Emmett is the first to speak, "Edward, Rose and I were just coming down here to meet you and Jasper. But I can see…that is not happening now. Care to tell me what is going on?" He cocks an eyebrow.

Rose pushes past Emmett as she grabs my by the arm dragging me over to the side, "Ouch Rose that fucking hurts! Can you please loosen your grip a little?"

She releases my arm but not before she hits me in the back of the head, "Edward, care to tell me what the fuck you are doing with that bitch? Please tell me you are not going to do what I think you are going to do, because I would hate to mess up your pretty face!"

I knew this was exactly what she would think, I love that she is such a good friend to Bella. "No Rose that is not what I am going to do. Tanya came up to me in the casino and said that she wanted to talk about things that happened between us, things that were left unsaid. Honestly, Rose I need to say my peace to her if I am ever going to move on. Can't you understand that? I need to do this for me and Bella."

Rose then did something very unexpected; she hugged me, "I do understand Edward. Bella has said some things to Alice and me about Tanya and you and I do agree that if you are going move on you need to close that chapter of your life. Just make sure that all you do is talk." She steps back narrowing her eyes at me as she walks back over to Emmett who is leaning against the wall beside the elevator staring Tanya up and down in a not so nice way.

Emmett and Rose continue on into the casino as I walk over to Tanya, "Bella really has some great friends. I swear that Rose girl was going to whip your ass right here in the lobby. I wish I had friends like that." I glance over at Tanya noticing the hint of sadness in her eyes as she turns to walk into the elevator.

Huh, maybe Tanya has realized her past mistakes.

The elevator ride was uneventful; I stood on one side and Tanya on the other. It was very awkward to say the least. The doors open on my floor I wait for her to walk out first as I dig in my pocket for my key card. Tanya walks a few steps and stops waiting on me. "Uhh I am not sure which room?"

I walk ahead of her as she follows behind; I get to the door as my heart is beating out of my chest because I am not sure what I am going to say to her once we step inside this room. I slide the key in unlocking the door holding it open as she walks in.

She pauses in the middle of the living area, "Wow Eddie you sure spared no expense. This Bella must mean a lot to you." She turns so that we are facing one another.

I step around her as I sit down on the couch, "Yes she does very much. I don't really want to discuss my relationship with Bella with you Tanya. Just say what you came here to say."

Tanya sits next to me on the couch and turns so that she has one foot tucked under her and she is facing me. I remember she used to sit like this all the time when we were together.

"Edward I just really wanted to say I was sorry for everything. My behavior was deplorable I know. I never meant to hurt you, I just got caught up in being the best and I wasn't seeing clearly. You have got to know I never meant what happened to Blackjack or Phoenix for that matter."

I whip my head around at the mention of those two names, "How can you sit here and tell me you never meant what happened to those horses? For fuck's sake Tanya you killed Blackjack, he died in my arms! And as for Phoenix, you sold her to a meater!" Tears start to roll down my face, "Tanya I loved you more than anything and you lied to me. You showed me the YOU, you wanted me to see. Why? Why did you do that to me?" I crumple my head into my hands as I let the sobs over take me. I feel Tanya's arms wrap around me as she pulls me closer to her.

I can hear her sniffles combined with mine, "Edward, I still love you. There is not a day that goes by that I don't regret a single thing I did to you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me…and when I saw you with Bella the other day, something inside me broke completely. Watching you laugh and smile at her the way you used to laugh and smile at me, made me want to be your person again. Eddie I swear if you give me another chance to show that I have changed, you won't be sorry."

I remove my hands as I tilt my head towards her. I look at the face I once loved with all my heart but now I feel nothing. "Tanya you still did not answer my question. Why did you do what you did to those horses and why did you lie to me about it?"

She scoots closer to me as she cups my face in her hands, "Edward I never meant to lie, I just knew how attached you were to Phoenix, she just had become way too unpredictable and I knew I couldn't sell her, she would just end up hurting someone bad. So I did what I thought was right. I was wrong to lie to you but I felt I honestly did the right thing for the mare." Tanya shifted slightly next to me as she paused before continuing, "And as for Blackjack, that was all my fault, I pushed him too hard to fast. I should have known better but I just was so frustrated that I took it out on him. Which is inexcusable, I have done some horrible things to you Edward, but I feel like the worst I have done to you was being cold and indifferent that day in the arena. I saw how much you cared about Blackjack and I couldn't even see past myself to help the horse or you for that matter and for that I am truly sorry. Edward you never did anything wrong, it was all me."

I am totally taken aback that she is actually owning up to her actions, I really don't know how to respond to her, the only thing I am feeling at this moment is relief, like a large weight has been lifted. I turn towards Tanya knowing all has been said that needs to be said, "Thank you for telling me that. It was what I needed to hear."

I start to get up from the couch when Tanya rises up and straddles my lap, "Tanya! What the hell are you…" before I can finish my statement her lips crash into mine, rough and void of emotion. It was like kissing my sister if I had one. I try to push her away as I hear the door open and something dropping to the floor. I look towards the door and there stands Bella, tears steaming down her beautiful face bags tumbling on the floor. I shove Tanya harder as I stand up quickly she falls on the floor with a thud.

What have I done!

"Bella I swear this is not what it looks like!" The look on her face I will never forget, she gave me her heart and I broke it.

Her voice came out almost as a whisper through sobs, "Fuck you Edward. You are no different than James." Bella grabs the door knob to leave but hesitates looking at Tanya, "Are you happy Tanya you won…You two deserve one another." And with one swift movement she swings the door open and leaves.

Tanya's venomous filled voice breaks me from my trance, "Just let her go Edward, she doesn't deserve you. We were meant to be together."

The anger starts to well up inside me as I turn quickly to face her, "Tanya WE were never meant to be together. I never loved you the way I love Bella, NEVER! You couldn't be half the woman she is if you tried. I can see now that you haven't changed at all, you are just as deceitful as you always have been. I want you to leave this room and I never want to see or hear from you again!"

Tanya looks at me and starts laughing, the bitch actually starts laughing, "Sure thing Eddie, I did what I came to do, I told Bella the other day our little argument wasn't over. I was just proving a point. It was kind of fun breaking her heart."

"GET THE FUCK OUT NOW TANYA!" I open the door with so much force I am sure I broke something. Tanya walks out with a sneer on her face like she had just won the mother of all competitions.

I grab my cell phone off of the table dialing Bella's number as I grab the keys to my car and the card to the room. The phone goes straight to voicemail, "Shit!"

I start to walk towards the door when someone knocks, I run to it hoping it is Bella I open it swiftly but instead of being met by Bella's face I am hit and hit hard in the face. I instinctively grab my eye as I try to make out my attacker, "Edward I fucking told you I would mess up your pretty face if you hurt Bella! She just left you asshole, she was crying so hard she could barely tell Alice and me what happened! She said she walked in on you and that skank making out. Is that true?"

I start to answer when I am punched in the stomach by an extremely fast pixie, "Edward how could you! You knew all the shit James put Bella through! I can't believe you would do this to my cousin." Jasper came around the door and grabbed Alice around the waist before she can hit me again.

"Guys it was not what it looked like! I promise! Tanya kissed me just to get back at Bella for the other day in the lobby. Believe me I did not kiss her back I was trying to get her off of me when Bella walked in. I know what it must have looked like to her but it was so far from that, I swear! I just wanted to talk to Tanya so I could finally shut that door and move on so I could be everything Bella deserved instead of half." I walked back over to the couch.

Rose sits down beside me, "Do you love Bella Edward?"

I run my fingers through my hair as I turn to answer her, "More than anything." Rose puts her arm around me.

Alice joins us on the couch, "If you love her Edward why can't you tell her?'

"I was scared but after today and the talk I had with Tanya I am not scared anymore. I know without a doubt I want to tell her, hell I want to tell the world. But I am probably not going to get that chance am I?" I look at Alice's face and I can tell I am not going to like what she has to say.

"Edward, she told me she does not want to talk to you or see you. She left in a taxi and was going to rent a car and drive home. I would give her a few days to cool off, she will understand I just know she will." Alice gets up as she pats me on the back.

Emmett walks in from the hallway, "Hell dude you better be glad she didn't tase you in the nuts like she did that poor schmo at the high school."

Leave it to Emmett to lighten the mood as everyone laughed but me, I wished she would have tased me it would feel a whole hell of lot better than what I am feeling now!

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End Note: Alright guys tell me what you think. Tanya is a Mega Bitch! I am working on Chapter 25 right now, I hope to have it done by Thursday.